A buddy of mine is thinking about purchasing a bead blaster and asked my opinion. I know absolutely nothing about them, but told him I'd check with the collective wisdom here and across the street. He's looking at purchasing a 100# outfit from Eastwood (does 80 grit glass beads). Anyone have any comments, suggestions, things to check, etc.? TIA
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Thoughts on a Bead Blaster
- Thread starter pfunk
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Paul, If you purchase a blast cabinet, be sure and seal all the joints well during assembly. I bought a used (only a couple times) unit last year and dust/sand escapes through every seam.
I will have to dissassemble it and seal all the joints. It is the type with a small flourescent lamp inside that is worthless once the dust starts flying even with the vacume hooked up to it's port. The lamp gets filthy and is usless. The only way I can really get use from it is to roll it out into the sunshine and position it so that the sun shines in the window and lands on the item you are cleaning. I am using bagged sand and it creates a lot of dust. This cabinet had plastic window coverings that stick to the inside if the window that you replace when they get beat up and are a real PITA to do so. It has 2 layers of glass in the window and dust/dirt/sand finds it's way between the layers and make it even harder to see what you are doing. This cabinet is the kind that TSC sells and they can get the replaceable plastic window covers after the fact.
All in all, I was very dissapointed in it's operation. The arm sleeves seem to always come off and are difficult to re-attatch and need to be kept tight all the time as they seem to loosen up very easy. The air hose attaatchment inside the cabinet come off all the time also. The barbed fittings are crap and I replaced mine with regular airoquip connectors.
You also need to have a moisture free air suplly. I just make sure I drain the compressor before each use.
Anyway, That os my 2 cents worth on the sand blasting. It works pretty good on small items, not so good on larger ones as it is hard to manouver them inside the cabinet with the gloves on and the hose/blast nozzle in the way. This is what loosens the gloves all the time as they have a tendency to twist while you have them on and are also too small for my big neanderthall hands!!
Dave S.
I will have to dissassemble it and seal all the joints. It is the type with a small flourescent lamp inside that is worthless once the dust starts flying even with the vacume hooked up to it's port. The lamp gets filthy and is usless. The only way I can really get use from it is to roll it out into the sunshine and position it so that the sun shines in the window and lands on the item you are cleaning. I am using bagged sand and it creates a lot of dust. This cabinet had plastic window coverings that stick to the inside if the window that you replace when they get beat up and are a real PITA to do so. It has 2 layers of glass in the window and dust/dirt/sand finds it's way between the layers and make it even harder to see what you are doing. This cabinet is the kind that TSC sells and they can get the replaceable plastic window covers after the fact.
All in all, I was very dissapointed in it's operation. The arm sleeves seem to always come off and are difficult to re-attatch and need to be kept tight all the time as they seem to loosen up very easy. The air hose attaatchment inside the cabinet come off all the time also. The barbed fittings are crap and I replaced mine with regular airoquip connectors.
You also need to have a moisture free air suplly. I just make sure I drain the compressor before each use.
Anyway, That os my 2 cents worth on the sand blasting. It works pretty good on small items, not so good on larger ones as it is hard to manouver them inside the cabinet with the gloves on and the hose/blast nozzle in the way. This is what loosens the gloves all the time as they have a tendency to twist while you have them on and are also too small for my big neanderthall hands!!
Dave S.
proessler
Well-known member
Had one at shop were I worked, it was great glass beading any item that fit in cabinet & surprising how well it worked.
kide
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- Gerry Ide
David - your first mistake is using sand ... number one reason is the health hazard from the dust. I believe most cabinets come with a warning against using it...
Paul: TP Tools in Ohio is a good source for quality media blasting equipment and they have a good website, also note that a search through the Machine Shop will turn up more threads on blasting cabinets and air compressors (need a decent one for blasting)
Paul: TP Tools in Ohio is a good source for quality media blasting equipment and they have a good website, also note that a search through the Machine Shop will turn up more threads on blasting cabinets and air compressors (need a decent one for blasting)
